then is the will, that settles the affair to your liking.
The girl and the younker are co-heirs together; but the latter dying
intestate, you understand, the whole falls into the lap of the former.
Are you easy now, honest Jack? Will this satisfy you all is safe?"

"It is jist the thing to an iota," ejaculated Doe, in whom the sight of
the parchment seemed to awaken cupidity and exultation together: "there's
no standing agin it in any court in Virginnee!"

"Right, my boy," said his associate. "But where is the girl? I must see
her."

"In the cabin with Wenonga's squaw, right over agin the Council-house,"
replied Doe; adding with animation, "but I'm agin your going nigh her,
till we settle up accounts jist as honestly as any two sich d--d rascals
can. I say, by G--, I must know how the book stands, and how I'm to
finger the snacks: for snacks is the word, or the bargain's no go."

"Well,--we can talk of this on the morrow."

"To-night's the time," said Doe: "there's nothing like having an honest
understanding of matters afore-hand. I'm not going to be cheated,--not
meaning no offence in saying so; and I've jist made up my mind to keep
the gal out of your way, till we've settled things to our liking."

"Spoken like a sensible rogue," said the stranger, with a voice all
frankness and approval, but with a lowering look of impatience, which
Nathan, who had watched the proceedings of the pair with equal amazement
and interest, could observe from the chink, though it was concealed from
Doe by the position of the speaker, who had risen from his stool, as if
to depart, but who now sat down again, to satisfy the fears of his
partner in villany. To this he immediately addressed himself, but in
tones lower than before, so that Nathan could no longer distinguish his
words.

But Nathan had heard enough. The conversation, as far as he had
distinguished it, chimed strangely in with all his own and Roland's
suspicions; there was, indeed, not a word uttered that did not confirm
them. The confessions of the stranger, vague and mysterious as they
seemed, tallied in all respects with Roland's account of the villanous
designs imputed to the hated Braxley; and it was no little additional
proof of his identity, that, in addressing Doe, whom he styled throughout
as Jack, he had, once at least, called him by the name of Atkinson,--a
refugee, whose connection with the conspiracy in Roland's story Nathan
had not forgotten. It was not, inde